The city of Krum is reviewing whether personal information was affected after a ransomware attack that prompted its public library to bring in outside cybersecurity specialists and report the incident to federal law enforcement.
The city said the Krum Public Library detected unusual activity on its computer network May 14 and later confirmed it had been the victim of a ransomware attack carried out by cyber criminal threat actors. The incident was limited to the library environment and did not affect the city’s broader network or other city operations, according to the public notice.
After discovering the activity, the library began working with third-party cybersecurity specialists to secure the network and assess the scope of the incident. The library also credited previous investments in backup technology and help from the city’s IT team and managed services provider with preventing the permanent loss of critical data.
The investigation remains ongoing. Krum Public Library said forensic work confirmed that certain files on the library’s network were accessed without authorization. The library has started a review of those files to determine whether any sensitive personal information was involved.
At the time of the notice, the library said it could confirm that Social Security numbers and personal financial account information were not affected. The library also said it was not aware of any fraud or misuse of personal identification information related to the incident.
A leak-tracking site later listed the ransomware group known as NightSpire as responsible, but Krum officials have not publicly confirmed the attribution or whether any data was stolen or published.
The library reported the incident to federal law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The city said the library has taken steps to further secure its systems, including a review of cybersecurity controls and additional security measures intended to reduce the risk of a similar incident. Potentially affected individuals will be notified if its review determines that sensitive personal information was accessed without authorization.
Ransomware Attack Hits Krum Public Library
What to Know:
- The library detected unusual network activity May 14 and later confirmed a ransomware attack.
- Krum said the incident was limited to the library environment and did not affect the city’s broader network or other city operations.
- Forensic investigators found that some library network files were accessed without authorization, but the city said Social Security numbers and personal financial account information were not affected.
